Migrant from Bengal kills self in Kerala

Asif’s colleagues and family members said he was disturbed as he wasn’t able to return home.

Police in Kerala said Asif was suffering from depression. (Representational image)

A teenage migrant labourer from West Bengal who was stranded in Kerala allegedly killed himself on Saturday. Asif Iqbal, 17, a resident of Siropara village in Murshidabad district, was working at a brick kiln in Ernakulum district.

Asif’s colleagues and family members said he was disturbed as he wasn’t able to return home.

“He used to worry about the lockdown and not being able to return home. He was disturbed for a few days. But we did not think he would take his life because of that,” said Sariful Islam, who, too, works at the same kiln and is from the same village in Murshidabad.

Police in Kerala said Asif was suffering from depression. Quoting his friends, police at Kodandu station said he had no work after lockdown.

Sariful said their names did not appear in the list of migrant labourers who returned to West Bengal in a train on May 6.

“The DM’s office has all our details. However our names did not feature in the list of passengers who were given ticket to ride the train back home. We will try our luck again if another train is arranged for West Bengal,” Islam told The Indian Express over the phone.